The present invention is directed towards improvements in hanger brackets. More particularly, the invention is concerned with an improved bracket for hanging a multi-tap directional coupler from a suspended wire, such as a strand running between poles on a street.
In the cable TV industry, when it is desired to bring a TV signal from a trunk cable which runs parallel with the strand to one or more nearby houses, a multi-tap directional coupler must be installed on the strand and connected by means of a feederline to the trunk cable, with one or more steel messenger coaxial cables connected to the taps of the coupler and extending therefrom to the houses. To this end, a generally L-shaped or U-shaped hanger bracket is used, one end of the bracket being secured to the coupler and the other end clamped onto the strand. The steel messenger wire which extends along each coaxial cable to support same is hooked to the strand by means of a suitable hooking member so as to hold the cable which is connected to the coupler. As each messenger wire must be grounded, it has been the practice to individually connect these messenger wires directly to the strand by means of individual clamping members. Thus, when using a coupler having height taps with a cable connected to each tap, a corresponding number of clamping members had to be installed at different locations on the strand for grounding each messenger wire. This of course is not only time consuming but also adds to the costs of installation.
Moreover, since most messenger wires are made of steel which is a rigid metal, pliers or other tools are needed in order to bend the connecting end of the wire and preform the same into a loop such that the wire can be securely connected to the strand clamping member by means of a screw extending through the looped connecting end of the wire. This further adds to the already numerous manipulative steps required for the whole installation.